One month after Rihanna returned to the stage with her Super Bowl Halftime Show, the pregnant superstar took on Hollywood’s biggest stage at the 2023 Oscars. She performed “Lift Me Up“—the Oscar-nominated tribute ballad to the late Chadwick Boseman—from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Draped in custom Maison Margiela, Rih looked up to the sky before bellowing the first note from the heart-wrenching record. Complete with a live orchestra, the performance felt like an ancestral outcry, as she seemingly embraced the spirit of the late actor in the touching set.

Ryan Coogler has given the world a glimpse into his last conversation with late actor Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020 due to complications related to stage IV colon cancer. The Oscar nominee was 43 years old at the time of his passing. During a recent appearance on Marvel’s official Black Panther podcast Wakanda Forever, the award-winning director revealed that the script for the sequel was completed before the acclaimed thespian’s death, but that Boseman declined Coogler’s offer to give it a glimpse.

On Thursday (March 7), CBS This Morning aired interviews with Azriel Clary, 21, and Joycelyn Savage, 23, where they accused their parents of blackmail over their relationship with the 52-year-old singer, R. Kelly. Speaking with co-host Gayle King, the young women expressed their content over the polyamorous relationship they have with the singer while explaining how their parents were the ones who lured them into relationships with the Kelly from the start.

Stephen A. Smith claims JAY-Z called him after he took to a talk show comparing wife Beyoncé to his Roc Nation artist, Rihanna. Ahead of Riri’s 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Smith shared his opinion that the Caribbean artist wouldn’t hold a candle to Beyoncé’s previous showings. “A month later, Hov and I were on the phone,” Smith revealed on the Connect the Dots podcast Monday (March 4). “Hov was like, ‘My dawg, you family, that’s family.

Taraji P. Henson has been named the host of the 2024 BET Awards. The actress is familiar with the role, as this year will make it her third time in the spotlight after hosting in 2021 and 2022. This makes Henson and comedic actress Mo’Nique the only talent to hold the job three times. “I am thrilled to be returning as the host of the ‘BET Awards’ for the third time,” detailed the 53-year-old in a statement.